It has been conventional practice to flow streams of heat-softened glass from a stream feeder, bushing or substrate and the streams of glass attenuated to continuous filaments by winding a strand or linear group of the filaments into a package.
Break-outs of filaments at the stream flow region of the bushing or flooding of the glass at the region of the break-out have, up to the present time, been detected by direct visual observation of the stream flow region and action is then taken by the operator to remove the flood and restart operation to promote attenuation of all of the glass streams flowing from the stream feeder or bushing.
The observer or operator utilizes a tool known as a bushing pick or other means of effecting restart of the glass streams to initiate the attenuation of all of the streams to filaments. It is conventional to utilize a great many stream feeders or bushings receiving heat-softened glass from a single glass melting furnace and a single observer can conveniently observe only a small number of stream feeders for possible filament break-outs.
It requires the use of several observers or operators to monitor a large number of stream feeders. An observer or operator must be physically present in visually monitoring a small number of stream feeders so that a break-out may be quickly detected before it results in a major flooding condition of the floor of a stream feeder.